The crack James came from began to close behind him.

  "Where... am I?" he muttered, stepping forward.

  Ancient markings lined the stone walls, catching his attention. He ran his fingers along one of the carvings.

  "Two planets merging... one being destroyed?" he whispered. "Is this a war?"

  He stopped at a depiction of figures clashing in the sky. A faint green glow began to emanate from deeper within the chamber. Drawn by it, James continued down the path until he reached the source—a floating crystal, pulsing gently in the air.

  Suddenly, a stone slab rose from the ground, stopping before him.

  > “The trial commences. Pass all trials to unlock the Truth. Failure may result in doom.

  Your first trial: unlock yourself.

  Become one with energy to proceed to Level Two.”

  "Become one with energy...? Wait—what does ‘doom’ mean here?” James groaned. “Why do I always get caught up in life-threatening crap?"

  The chamber trembled violently.

  “An earthquake?” he gasped, bracing himself.

  Then everything vanished.

  James blinked—he couldn't see anything, not even his own hands. The world around him was pure black.

  “Don’t panic. Think,” he told himself.

  He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

  “What did the slab say again? ‘Become one with energy’... maybe that's the key".

  After sometime

  “Maybe I should stop trying to sense energy... and instead understand what it is.”

  James began meditating.

  After a moment, he whispered, “Let’s try using my ability.” A sword began to form in his hand—then he reversed the process, watching it dematerialize.

  "This is energy…” he said, watching tiny flickering particles swirl like a stream of light.

  "Where does this energy go?" He focused harder, feeling the flow inside his body.

  “It feels… incredible.”

  As he dove deeper, he found something unexpected—three glowing orbs.

  "Is this... the cup?” he breathed.

  He touched the blue orb. It pulsed warmly, familiarly. “This must be where my awakened ability comes from.”

  He moved to the yellow one.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Let’s see what you—ahh!” He yanked his hand back, pain shooting through him. “That one’s... restricted.”

  Then he turned to the red one. As soon as his hand touched it—

  Ba-dum.

  His heart skipped. The energy was cold, malevolent.

  “This… this is something else entirely.”

  His body froze. The red orb started pulling him in.

  "My hand!" he shouted, trying to break free. “Think, think—sense energy!”

  But it wasn’t working.

  "No… that’s not it. Become one with energy—that’s what the trial wants.”

  Desperate, James reached out toward the blue orb again. His body was almost fully consumed by the red orb—only his face and one arm remained.

  The blue orb touched his hand. Nothing happened at first.

  “I know you're in me. You are mine to command. Answer me when I call out to you!” James roared.

  The blue orb flared, expanding, and then it surged into James. His body absorbed it entirely.

  The red orb recoiled, ejecting him with force.

  James opened his eyes, gasping for air.

  He was still in the dark.

  But now... he could see everything.

  Not with his eyes—but through energy.

  He watched energy waves bounce off surfaces like sonar or light—except clearer, more precise.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever use my eyes again,” he whispered, amazed.

  In the corner of the chamber was a small altar. A green shard floated above it.

  James approached and scanned it with his energy.

  “What the hell is this…?” he gasped. “If this ever got out, nations would start wars over it.”

  The chamber began to fade.

  James blinked. He was standing again outside the void crack he entered.

  He tucked the shard into his pocket.

  “Alright, you bastards—shall we finish what we started?” he shouted, turning to the sky.

  A bat charged at him.

  James materialized a dagger and threw it straight into its eye.

  “Bullseye.”

  "But... is that really my ability? Just making weapons?" he mused.

  He closed his eyes.

  "Ten... thirty-seven... forty-five... seventy-two. Got them all."

  A glowing whip formed around him.

  “Let’s test my limit.”

  The whip lashed out, slicing through the air and bats alike. One by one, they fell.

  When the last collapsed, James dropped to his knees, panting.

  “Damn… I don’t have the energy to do that often.”

  He summoned a smaller whip into his hand, examining it.

  “I can materialize energy itself... It's easier to control this way—but the range is limited. Five meters, max.”

  Still, he smiled.

  He turned to the gate.

  “Still locked.”

  His smile faded.

  “Did Vanessa really try to kill me…?” he whispered. “Why don’t I feel anger over what she did?"

  He shook his head.

  “Maybe… the red orb?”

  "it's better that way is not like I can do something about it either Way”

  He closed his eyes again, focusing.

  “I can see through the other side of the door. That’s good.”

  No one was nearby.

  A whip formed outside the dome, slicing the lock.

  James stepped out into the world again.

  ---

  Meanwhile...

  A press conference was underway.

  “And due to his recklessness in trying to clear a void break alone, James Conor tragically lost his life,” a voice said solemnly.

  A reporter raised a hand.

  “Miss Vanessa, was there nothing you could do to prevent it?”

  Vanessa replied, “Environmental void breaks change terrain. When someone leaves the party area... the consequences are dire. I was with him, but once he strayed too far—there was little I could do.”

  “There will be no further questions.”

  She left the stage.

  Outside, her phone rang.

  She answered.

  “The void break had been what?” she barked.

  The voice replied, “Cleared. But something’s off—it’s not releasing energy. No void serum either. It’s… dead.”

  ---

  James wandered through the streets.

  “Need a new place to sleep… and food.”

  He came upon a tall hotel building.

  “Perfect.”

  The lobby was sleek, modern—nothing compared to Vanessa’s estate, but luxurious all the same.

  “can I get a room. And a large meal,” James said at the counter.

  The receptionist eyed his combat gear and age. “How long will you be staying?”

  “A week? Maybe?”

  “Very well. A room plus a meal comes to 30,000CP.”

  James froze.

  “Right… I’m broke.”

  He glanced at his wristband.

  “Vanessa used hers to buy my gear... maybe…”

  The receptionist scanned his band.

  James held his breath.

  Beep.

  “Transaction confirmed,” she said, sliding a black card into a gold-embossed holder. “Room 1517. Take the elevator, then left.”

  James blinked.

  “Guess it worked.”

  CP balance: 470,000

  He smiled, remembering Commander Rourke handing him the band.

  “I’ll repay you, Commander,” he muttered.

  Up in his suite, James dropped onto the bed.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glowing shard.

  He stared at it.

  “I guess it’s time to absorb the Void Crack core…”